Combination-lock for automobiles



M. T. DOWDY.

COMBINA'HON LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPIZICATION FILED AUG.5, I920.

1,393,676. Patented Oct. 1 1, 1921.

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RN Y5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

GOMBINATION-LOOK FOE AUTOMOBILES.

Lseaers.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1921.

Application filed August 5, 1920. Serial No. 401,504.

To all whom it mac concern Be it known that I, MORTON T. DownY, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Bakersfield, in the county of Kern and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Combination-Lock for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a combination lock particularly applicable for use in connection with a switch for an electrical circuit, such as an ignition circuit of an automobile.

It is the object of the invention to provide a combination lock adapted to lock the switch of the electrical circuit in open position so that when such a switch is employed for controlling the ignition system of an automobile and is locked in open position an unauthorized person will be prevented from closing the ignition circuit in order to start the automobile.

The invention will from the following description of the accompanying drawings, inwhich' Figure 1 is a plan View, with the casing broken away, of a lock cordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical 8-3 of F 1.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section on the 44 of Fig. 1. V

In the present embodiment of the invention the lock is shown employed in connec tion with the ignition circuit of an automobile. The instrument board of the automobile is shown at 1 and the casing2 for the lock is supported irom the rear side of the instrument board by means of bracket 3. The pins of the combination controlling the loclr, preferably, project below the lower surface of easing 2 in position to be engaged by the fingers of the hand inserted beneath the instrument board. The actuating lever for the switch of the ignition system, preferably, extends beyond one end of casing 2 so that it may also be readily grasped for operation.

The bolt of the lock is shown at i extending transversely of casing 2 and slidably supported within suitable apertures provided in the casing. The end of this bolt projects beyond casing 2 into an auxiliary casing 5 in which the electrical contact of the ignition circuit is made. he bolt is provided with a plurality of transversely line section on the line line be readily understood constructed in acextending pins 6 longitudinally spaced along said bolt and is also provided with an upwardly projecting pin 7 at the end of said bolt opposite the auxiliary casingo.

A plurality of rock bars 8 extend beneath bolt 1- transversely of the same and are provided with means for engaging the bolt in order to shift the latter longitudinally. As an instance of this arrangement the rock bars may be provided with downwardly bent ends 9 received in a groove 10 in the base of easing 2 so that said rock bars may be rocked upon said ends as pivots. The opposite ends of the rock bars which extend beyond bolt 4- are, preferably, provided with tongues 11 which are received in suitable slots 12 of a plate 13. By this arrangement lateral displacement of the rock bars is prevented and the rocking movement of said barsis limited.

The rock bars are normally yieldably held with their rocking ends in downwardly swung position away from bolt 4 as by means of the coil spring 14 fixed to the opposite sides of casing and extending across the rock arms, preferably, adjacent their pivoted ends 9. Push pins 15 depend from the rock arms through suitable openings 17 provided in casing 2, and said pins of adjacent rock arms are, preferably, longitudinally off-set so that pins for all of the rock arms may be conveniently positioned atthe under side of easing 2.

Tapering fingers 18 project upwardly from certain ones of rock arms 8 so as to engage certain of the pins 6 projecting from bolt 4:. The tapering fingers and the pins 6 are so arranged relative to one anotherthat when bolt 4 is projected into locking position and the push pins of the rock arms carrying the taperingfingers are then pressed in proper sequence, one offingers 18 will be moved upwardly and cause to engage one of pin 6 for moving bolt 4 longitudinally through contact of the tapered surface of said finger against said pin.

This movement of the bolt will be sufiicient to bring the next one of fingers 18 into such a positionthat pushing ofthe second push pin of the combination will move said finger upwardly and cause its'inclined surface to engage a pin ofbolt 4: for continuing the longitudinal sliding movement of said bolt. In similar manner this longitudinal movement of the bolt will bring the latter into such aposition with relation-to the third one of the fingers 18 that pushing of the push pin controlling said finger will I ment thereof.

. ing.

arm 22 is provided 'the recess '25 of against rotation by means It will be understood that as many of the fingers 18 may be provided as is found desirable to include in the combination controlling the look. It will also be understood that when the proper sequence of push pins have been actuated the bolt will have been retracted a sufficient distance to unlock the contact mechanism of the switch controlled by the lock.

The switch mechanism controlled by the lock includes a shaft 20 extending across casing 2 and journaled therein. One end of said shaft projects beyond casing 2 and is provided with a wing handle 21 for actuating. said shaft. The opposite end of the shaft extends within casing 5 and a contact arm 22 is fixed to said shaft within the cas- When the shaft is rotated so as to bring contact arm 22 into uprightposition the latter is arranged to impinge against a spring strip 23 for moving the same so as to close an electrical contact with a second spring strip 24.

It will be understood that the strips 23 and 24.- are arranged in the circuit of the ignition system of the automobile. The

with a recess 25' arranged to be engaged by bolt l when arm 22 is swung downwardly so as to break the contact between strips 23 and 24c. The recess 25 is, preferably, closed by a yieldable lug 26 having a spring2l' arranged in rear of the same. i

' "An arm 30 is pivoted to casing 2 at the end of shaft 20 carrying wing handle 21, and said arm is provided with a cam surface 31 adapted to be actuated by the wing handle when the latter is turned so as to move contact arm 22 from contact making to contact breaking position. When arm 30 isthus swung upon its pivot it is arranged to impinge against the pin 7 projecting from bolt i in order to slide said bolt so as to project the same into casing 5.

By the arrangement, as thus described, it will be seen that when bolt 4: is retracted so as to permit of turning movement of shaft 20 and the latter is turned so as to swing contact arm 22 from contact making to contact breaking position, arm 30 is actuated so as to project bolt 4: into operative position, and as a consequence as arm 22 swings downwardly locking lug, 26 will be retracted and the bolt t engaged within the arm 22; The arm 22 is thus locked ofthe bolt and it is impossible to complete the circuit through the ignition system until bolt l is again retracted for permitting turning movement of arm 22.

' hen it is desired to thus retract bolt 4 it is necessary to actuate the proper combination of push pins 15 in the proper sequence, and as soon as bolt 4 is thus retracted the arm 22 may be again swung into position for making contact through strips 2324:.

The rock arms 8 which do not carry actuating fingers 18 are, preferably, provided with pins 3-35 projecting upwardly therefrom. lVhenever any of said rock arms are actuated by pushing their push pins the pins 35 carried thereby will impinge against a plate 36 arranged for swinging movement across casing 2. A lever 37 is actuated by said swinging movement of plate 36 for swinging a lever 38 so as to cause'the same to abut against one of the pins 6 of bolt 4: for projecting the bolt into locking position. 7 By this arrangement it will be seen that if .an unauthorized person tampers with the lock and pushes any one of push pins 15 which are not in the combination controlling the bolt of the lock, the plate 36 and levers 37 and 38 will be actuated for returning bolt i to locking position.

Thus it will be seen that if an unauthorized person should have managed'to partially retractbolt l, as soon as oneof the push pins, not in the combination is pushed, the bolt will be immediatelyreturned to locking position. 7

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:-

1. A combination lockincluding a sliding bolt having laterally projecting pins, rock arms, fingers carried by certain of said rock arms and arranged to engage said pins when successively actuated for retracting, said bolt, and pins carried by others of said rock arms and arranged to cause projection of said bolt when the push arms a re moved. V

v 2. A combination lock including a sliding bolt'having laterally projecting pins, rock arms, push pins for actuating said rock arms, and fingers carried by certain ones of said rock arms and arranged to engage said pins when actuated in a predetermined sequeme so as to successively longitudi} nally shift the bolt until it is retracted. A combination lock including a sliding bolt, rock arms, push pins for actuating said rock arms, fingers carried by certain ones of said rock arms, means carried by said bolt arranged to be engaged by said fingers for retracting the bolt,'a. rotatable member, a pin carried by said bolt, and an arm controlled by the turning of said rotatable 'MOR'TON T. DOWDY.

pins for said rock 

